Chocolate Crush
by Windswept Blossoms
Summary: Valentine's Day, the sacred holiday for girls to express their love for a special someone, usually through chocolates. But for Yukimura Chizuru, a chocolate ban imposed on her school might just ruin, well, everything! Can she still find a way to deliver her feelings for her senpai? Worse still, even if he is a part of the Disciplinary Committee overseeing the ban?


Chizuru dashed through the winding roads of her neighbourhood, her pants and puffs coming out in small white clouds. The sky was cloudless and the sun shining brightly, but the chilly February wind still made her shiver like a leaf in the wind. She briefly regretted wearing only a scarf to protect herself from the unforgiving cold, but there was no time to go home and grab a jacket. She gasped as she stumbled in the pothole in the road that she was usually careful enough to avoid, but luckily didn't fall and continued running.

The first-year student had woken up very early this morning, earlier than she normally would, but it was trying to wake her neighbour, childhood friend and senpai Toudou Heisuke that had caused her to be rushing to school in this state. The school gates weren't going to close for another half an hour, and Chizuru only needed a third of that time to reach the school if she ran, but there was something she had to do. And she absolutely needed to arrive earlier in case something interfered with her grand master plan. As soon as Heisuke had woken up, she had (_disloyally_) ran off without waiting for him to go with her.

The commotion of a hubbub drifted into her ears and Chizuru knew that she was already nearing the school. She stopped outside the French café at the corner of the T-junction, just before she turned into full view of Hakuou Gakuen to catch her breath and straighten her hair and whatnot. Her heart palpitated as she unzipped her school bag and sure enough, the pretty pink package was there, bundled up with a silver bow and card and sitting nicely on top of her books. Chizuru took a deep breath as she gathered her thoughts.

It would work. It had to work. There was no other way.

Chizuru strolled out from her corner casually. A sea of sky-blue blazers and black uniform pants greeted her sight (and secretly she was amazed that most of the other students hadn't bothered to wear a jacket as well). Two messy but existent lines of students were queuing for bag checks outside the school gates.

Hakuou Gakuen was a rather special school- they had recently transformed from an all-boys' to a co-ed one. However, Chizuru was the only girl who had been admitted into the high school thus far, partially due to Heisuke's recommendation. And today was Valentine's Day. It was supposedly the most heart-throbbing day for high school boys and girls alike, but because Chizuru was the only girl in the whole school and the only one who could give out chocolates, Hijikata-sensei, the vice-principal, had decided to impose a chocolate ban to avoid any trouble.

Chizuru would have been grateful for the help- it was a lifesaver on the _giri-choco_ side. If, she hadn't wanted to confess to a particular special senpai.

But as they say, where there's a will, there's a way, right?

There was a rather familiar voice shouting at the end of one particular line, while the end of the other was silent. She joined the latter.

It wasn't long before all the students in front of her were admitted into the school after the banned item, or lack of it, was not found in their possessions. Chizuru came face to face with Saito Hajime. The second-year was a member of the Disciplinary Committee who was overseeing the checks, the Vice-Captain of the Kendo Club and also...

Her secret crush.

Their history together wasn't exactly long, but it was quite romantic, if Chizuru could say so herself. Heisuke had invited her to watch the Kendo Club practice some time ago. She had entered, to her horror, to find one of the second years charging at her with his bokken above his head. The poor girl had been so frightened that she couldn't move, even when the second year was already bringing the bokken down.

Just then, Hajime had calmly stepped in and suavely blocked the blow with the ease of a master swordsman. He turned to ask her if she was alright, and although he had sounded indifferent, Chizuru could have sworn she had a seen a trace of genuine concern in his eyes. She nodded shakily and he turned away to reprimand the second year, but Hajime's gaze still remained in her mind. And well, the rest of the story unfolded like a shoujo manga would; she thought of him and noticed him all the time after that. Gradually, her feelings developed into this infatuation.

Hajime was looking directly at Chizuru with his cobalt eyes. Her heartbeats swelled into a crescendo as she inclined her head respectfully. "Good morning, Saito-senpai."

"Good morning, Yukimura." He nodded politely and- was it her imagination?- almost boredly. "May I see your bag please?"

Chizuru shifted her bag to her front. It was working...-

To her horror of horrors, one of the situations she had imagined broke out. "Stop right there, Saito!" A more immature voice rang out. The other Disciplinary Committee member performing the checks, Nagumo Kaoru, marched over. He was Chizuru's older twin, but they were adopted into different families after their parents passed away in a car accident. Nevertheless, that never stopped Kaoru from playing the part of the older sibling. It was nice, but he was naturally born un-gifted in reading situations and could be really overbearing and really pesky sometimes. "Move aside. I'll check her bag."

Chizuru strained to pull her lips into a friendly smile for her nosy sibling. "Onii-san, there's really no need for you to-"

"Of course there is!" Kaoru cut Chizuru's protest off as he reached for her bag. "I won't have other people touching your stuff when I'm here. Come on, show me your bag."

"Onii-san!" Chizuru clung on desperately to her bag, her fingers like a vice around the strap. There was no way she could let Kaoru see what was inside. Absolutely not. Her plan was for Saito-senpai to confiscate her chocolates and _hopefully realise it was for him_ before he turned it over to Hijikata-sensei. She didn't want to find out how her twin would react if he knew. Her crush for Saito-senpai was her own secret: no one else was supposed to know it. Okay to be fair, except the object of desire himself.

Now, how to get herself out of this again?

"Sumimasen, I'll be going in first." Out of nowhere, Okita Souji, a second year whom was also in the Kendo Club, popped up like a miracle. Chizuru followed the tall brunet with grateful hazel eyes as he blatantly tried to stroll into the school grounds without queuing up for his bag check.

"HOLD IT, OKITA SOUJI!" Kaoru bellowed, chasing after the student, his mission to check his sister's bag forgotten and abandoned to pick a fight with his arch nemesis. Chizuru turned to Hajime with a bright grin, secretly heaving a sigh of relief and silently thanking Souji for his convenient appearance as she unzipped her bag.

With lightning-fast fingers, Hajime reached into her bag and pulled out the exquisite bag of Chizuru's _honmei-choco_. He frowned at the pink heart-printed plastic wrapping, and then at her. "I am very disappointed in you, Yukimura. I thought you would do better." His tone was cold, much colder than it had been when he first greeted her, and it sent shivers down her spine. But it didn't dampen her spirits. The girl still had cause to be happy. A lot of cause, actually.

It took every bit of her willpower to prevent a triumphant grin from breaking out on her face. Chizuru bowed her head in mock depression. "I'm sorry, Saito-senpai. I won't attempt it again. Please don't tell my onii-san."

"I cannot promise you anything." Hajime replied curtly with a dismissive wave. He stepped out of her way. "Go in to school, you're almost late."

"Yes, Saito-senpai." Chizuru answered, her head still inclined towards the floor as she walked past. Little did Hajime know however, was that her heart was soaring with joy, for her plan had worked! As soon as he was out of earshot, Chizuru let go of her restraint and allowed herself to squeal in delight. Part one of her mission had been successfully accomplished..

Now, she just had to pray hard that _Hajime would check the letter_ before he surrendered her feelings to Hijikata-sensei.

Hopefully.

Chizuru would just_ die _of utter embarrassment if the gift ended up in the Vice-Principal's hands.

* * *

"Hajime-kun, it's break time!" Toudou Heisuke exclaimed energetically from outside Hajime's classroom, waving his arms madly at his friend inside. He was flanked by Okita Souji, who was tapping away at his mobile phone despite it still being school hours. "Let's go eat!"

"Go on without me." Hajime replied, reaching under his table for the chocolates he had confiscated from Chizuru. "I have to hand Yukimura's chocolate over to Hijikata-sensei."

"EH?!" Heisuke's teal eyes grew to the size of golfballs and even Souji looked up from whoever he had been texting or whatever picture he had been editing with a raised eyebrow. The pair ran into the classroom that was empty save for Hajime and crowded around his table. "Yukimura as in Yukimura Chizuru?! Chizuru brought CHOCOLATES?! Who-"

"Ne, Hajime-kun." Souji cut in, grinning wolfishly and eyeing the card that was stuck to the pink package. "You should find out who it's for. I wonder who Chizuru-chan could have fallen in love with~"

"-I'LL KILL THAT PUNK, I TELL YOU!" Heisuke was screaming, although he was ignored by his two friends.

Hajime closed his eyes. The other students and even the teachers always wondered why someone as stoic as him was such good friends with the boisterous two in front of him. With the way they were always acting, he didn't need to look far to know why they had those kind of thoughts. "I believe Yukimura is still entitled to her own privacy despite having broken the school rules. It is not any of our businesses who Yukimura's chocolates are for. Simply put, it is very rude."

"Well it is my business!" Chizuru's childhood friend grabbed the card before Hajime had had time to react.

"Heisuke!"

The male opened the card despite Hajime's disapproving protest. Heisuke's jaw actually dropped when he saw the name that was written in Chizuru's neat cursive handwriting. Souji leaned over to take a took as well and surprise seized his features for a moment, before he burst into uncontrollable guffaws. His mirth was so great that he actually had to sit down in a chair to laugh it off. The shorter brown-haired male continued staring at the card as if it was his death sentence that was written there.

"HAJIME-KUN!" Heisuke's face had turned erubescent, from embarrassment or whatever weird emotion- Hajime didn't know. The purple-haired teen simply stared at his friends in confusion, having no clue as to why Heisuke was blushing like a young maiden and Souji was laughing like he had seen the best joke of the whole year. And it was only February the 14th.

Heisuke shoved the card into Hajime's hand. Normally, he wouldn't even dream of doing something like a reading a card that didn't belong to him, but this time, his curiosity won over his decorum. Unable to resist the temptation, he glanced at the card.

Shock gripped his heart like an icy hand. Liquid ice seeped into his veins as he read the letter once more, eyes wide in shock and disbelief.

_To: Saito-senpai_

_I wanted to thank you for saving me that day when I visited the Kendo Club. Please accept these chocolates as a small token of my sincerity._

**_I like you._**

_Yukimura Chizuru_

Hajime could feel the blood rushing into his own face. He had no doubt that he would find his cheeks exploring every shade of red that existed in the spectrum if he looked into a mirror at that very moment. He swallowed anxiously.

Yukimura...? 'Like'? Him? How was it even possible?!

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Souji was still laughing away as he spoke, oblivious to or unconcerned about the conflicting dilemmas that his two friends were in. "Who would have thought! Hajime-kun, you… you lady killer! HAHAHAH-"

The offending two-word term brought the boy back from his thoughts to reality. Hajime shot Souji a dark glare before turning to look at his friend flusteredly. For the first time in a long time, his mind was blank and he felt almost guilty as he tried to explain himself. "Heisuke, I-"

There was a visible shift in Heisuke's turquoise eyes, from hesitation to pure rage. Hajime swallowed as he awaited Heisuke's next words. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Poor Hajime had no choice but to turn and flee for his life. He left Souji laughing in the classroom and ran past Hijikata-sensei in the corridor, who stared for a few stunned seconds at his model student before yelling at him for breaking a school rule, a first for the second-year Disciplinary Committee student.

But some things like explaining himself could wait for a more appropriate time.

Getting away from a jealous/overprotective childhood friend, for example, was more important.

"Happy Valentine's Day to me." Hajime mumbled to himself, while still wondering how this was happening to someone like him.

* * *

**A/N: To start off with, Happy Valentine's Day, everyone~! Firstly, I have to admit that I did have to somewhat rush this out, because I had my own Valentine's Day preparations to deal with. (No, not for who you think. It was for my beloved friends! If it sounds weird, we do have the custom of doubling Valentine's Day as Friendship Day where I live.) Anyway, am I getting sidetracked? Yes I am.**

**Anyway, this is (obviously) set in the alternate universe of Hakuouki SSL, where 18 year olds actually go to school (and learn nonsense like _sin^2(x) + cos^2__(x) = 1_) instead of running around waving katanas. The basic concept is based on a similar scene in the actual game, but I had a "What if..." moment that I really wanted to write so I tweaked it a bit, if this even still counts as FanFiction. My main concern this time is that poor Hajime-kun became VERY OC as a result of my terrible inability to write difficult characters. He's my _FAVOURITE _(bold-italic-underlined for emphasis) in Hakuouki, but he's very complex and very hard to write. Also, I think my writing style drifted off somewhere.Anyway.**

**I hoped you enjoyed it! Once again, Happy Valentine's Day! I wish all of you good luck for whatever plans or daring endeavours you may have hidden up your sleeves *winks***


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